Machine for splitting bark-strips.



No..7oo,29s. l Patented may 2o, |902.

E. L. nowu.

MACHIN F03 SPLITING ABIUK STRIPS.

(Application med mins 24, 1901.)

sheets-sheet (No Model.)

E venta 7") (Application mea 51111524, 190i.)v

(No Model.)

4memes,

No. 7011,296. Patented may 2o, |902.

l l E. L, BROWN; A

MACHINE FUR SPLITTING BARK STRIPS (Application med June 2 4, 1901.). i (No maal.) A v: 1 sheets-sheet a.

UNITED STATES P ATENT FFICE vEDMUND L; BROWN, oF MARrINsvILLE,l ila-DIANA.

MACHINE FoR'sPLiVTTlNG BARK-sTnlPps. Y

` SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters'latent No. 700,296., dated May 20, 1902.

p Application iled June 24,1901. SerialNo. 65,878. (No model.)l i

To a/ZZ vwhom it may concern: Beir it-known that l, EDMUND L. BROWN, a

citizen'of the UnitedStates, residingrat Mar tinsville, vin'the county of-A Morgan andState; of Indiana, haveinventedfcertain :new and usefuLlmprovements in v4Machinesfor Split-`A ting Bark-Strips, of whic'hthefollowing isa specification.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for splitting strips of hickory, birch,

. and other tenacious barks and materials into several thinner strips Vand for reducing suchstrips .to a luniform thickness.

The invention is intended primarily for pro- I ducing the splints or strips of hickory-bark to be used in weaving the backs and bottoms of chairs of a pattern such as were produced by the early pioneers. The bark as it comes from the tree is too thick to work to the best advantage as to convenience of manufacture and handsome appearance of the finished product and besides is covered on the outside with a rough scale and is fullgof knots and un` even places. .All of these impr-jnfections,the`

machine is designed to remove] andby splitting the original bark cheapening thecost by producing several strips from a single original one and at the same time providing a more pliable material. l U y I accomplish the objects of the invention panying drawings, in whichby the mechanism illustrated in the accom-Y Figure 1 is a front elevation of my inven-V Vconnected by the longitudinal'bars 3 and 4,

which in turn are connected bythe transverse bars-5,` 6, and7. Bolted to bars 5 and 7 are boxes 8 8, in which is mounted the vertical shaft 9. The upper end of shaft 9 projects a suitable distance above the top ofthe table and is provided with the removable cutter 9a, which is a circular steel disk having its periphery beveled on the under side to bring it toa cutting edge. The vertical shaft meshwith'gthe teethi of `the beveled pinion 11 fon' the end of Lthe horizontal shaft 12. The shaft 12is placed longitudinallyof the machine and has "the loose pulleyl 13 and adja- `centitight`pnlley14 o n `its'louter end to receive belt-15,Vl bym'eans of which power from any suitable l'notor is transmitted throughthe pulley-14 *tof said shaft.V Also. mounted on .shaft 12 between the pulleys j ustment-ioned and'theframeoffthe lmachine is the'pulley 15,"which` is connected by the crossed belt 16 with pulley. 17 onthe end ofthe shaft 18. Shaft 18 is "abovethe table '1'y andis mounted parallel with the shaft 12. Its inner end terminates over the disk 9a, and mounted thereon are the serrated feed-disks 19. A feedbox 20 rests upon the table, with its inner end terminating under the feed-disks and also under `the edge of the cutting-disk 9a. This inner end of the boXis adjustable vertically tov or from the disk 9Vby means of the screw 21. Thesides 22 22 of the box serve as guides tof direct the bark 23 to the cutter, and the space between theadjacent end of the feed- 'box'. and the cutting edge of the cutter 9L determines the -thicknessof the strip to be `peeled oif of the under side of the thick piece presented. This strip 28 is force-fed to the and to prevent the choking of the strip between-the feed-disks land the feed-box from irregularities in thickness of the original bark end of shaft 18, carrying said feed-disks, by pivoting the journal-box 24 inthe block 25. vThe inner end of this shaft is drawn in a downward direction by the spring 26,-the lower end of which is fastenedby the eyebolt 27 to the bar 6 and the upper end ofwhich spring is connected by link-bar 28 with sleeve 29, which surrounds the shaft 18. Lateral movement of the shaft is prevented by the annularly-grooved vbox 30, whichtakesinto a vertical slot in the standard 31. usually thick or unusually thin portion of'a to the cutter, arrives under the feed-disks, the latter rises or falls proportionately to let it pass. VThe thinner strips are taken 0E one at a'tiine, the original strip being vrun through strip of bark 23, passing through the feed-box.

successively until not enough material islejt 7 thebeveledpinion 10, the teeth of which cutter by the rotation ofthe feed-disks 19,

strip I provide a vertical adjustment of the When an unto take olf another' strip. The bark is softened by soaking in water before it is put through the splitting-machine.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and wish to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. A revolublc cutter beveled on one side to a cutting edge, a guideway having one end adjacent to the beveled side of the cutter and adjustable in its distance from the cutting edge, and revoluble feed-disks on the end of a vertically-tilting shaft to force-feed the ma terial between the bearing-plate and cutter, said feed-disks being automatically adjustable to accommodate material of varying thickness.

2. A table, a revoluble vertical shaft projecting through said table, a circular disk mounted on the top of said shaft having its under edge beveled to form an upper cutting edge, a feed-box having one end located under the cutter to hold the material up thereto, means for adjusting said end toward and from the cutter, a horizontal revoluble shaft termi* nating at one end above the feed-box and cutter, said shaft having a vertical rocking adj ustment,serrated feed-disks mounted on said end of the horizontal shaft, and yielding means for drawing the end of the shaft having the cutters, down toward the feed-box with a predetermined pressure.

3. In a splitting-machine, a vertical revoluble shaft having a cutter at its upper end, a feed-box leading to said cutter, the end of said feed-box forming a bearing for the ma.- terial und er the cutter, a screw for adjusting said bearing end of the feed-box, a horizontal revoluble shaft pvoted to aiford a vertical adjustment of its inner end, a spring to draw the shaft toward the feed-box, a tension device to regulate the force of the spring, and feeding-disks on the end of the shaft ovei` the `feed-box.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, at Martinsville, Indiana, this 12th day of June, A. D. 1901.

EDMUND L. BROWN.

X'Vitnesses:

NELLIE B. Lusk, GEORGE HILL.

lL. s] 

